Before Louisville’s thrilling run through the 2012 postseason—the Cardinals won the Big East Tournament title and made an unexpected run into the Final Four—Peyton Siva was a well-respected point guard.

On the strength of that magic month, though, Siva has landed on preseason All-American squads—first, second or third team—for just about every publication and network. He showed the country what he was capable of doing when playing his best basketball for an outstanding coach, Rick Pitino, with outstanding teammates.

So for Sporting News’ preseason Field of 68 projection, we’re looking for the next Peyton Sivas, the players with the talent to capture the nation’s attention by leading their teams to March glory:

NO. 1 SEEDS

Player to watch: Christian Watford, PF, Indiana. The versatile forward hit last season’s most memorable shot—his buzzer-beating dagger against No. 1 Kentucky in the regular season vaulted the Hoosiers back into the national spotlight. Considering the wealth of options IU opponents will have to account for, this 6-9 senior will be a matchup nightmare.

NO. 2 SEEDS

Kansas (Big 12), Michigan, Duke (ACC) and Syracuse

Player to watch: Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas. A partial qualifier last season, McLemore has a full year of practice with the Jayhawks under his belt. That means he’s no ordinary freshman, so by the time March rolls around he will be more than ready for a starring role on the sport’s biggest stage.

NO. 3 SEEDS

N.C. State, Missouri, Arizona (Pac-12) and Florida

Player to watch: Patric Young, C, Florida. During his first two years with the Gators, Young played a minimal offensive role in Florida’s backcourt-centric attack. That won’t be the case this fall. He’ll have an entire season to adjust to the idea of being a primary scoring threat, and by the tournament he should be ready to carry his Gators.

NO. 4 SEEDS

North Carolina, Michigan State, Creighton (Missouri Valley) and UCLA

Player to watch: Branden Dawson, G/F, Michigan State. Think this 6-6 sophomore is excited about a shot at playing in the NCAA Tournament? Dawson started 31 games as a freshman, but tore his left ACL in Michigan State’s final regular-season game and had to watch as his Spartans lost to Louisville in the Sweet 16.

NO. 5 SEEDS

Memphis (C-USA), Cincinnati, Baylor and UNLV

Player to watch: Mike Moser, F, UNLV. The Runnin’ Rebels’ Mr. Double Double—he turned in 15 last year to average 14.0 points and 10.5 rebounds—didn’t have a stellar end to a great debut season. He had just 21 points and 12 rebounds—combined—in losses to New Mexico (in the Mountain West Tournament) and Colorado (in the NCAA Tournament). He’ll look to rectify that this season.

NO. 6 SEEDS

Player to watch: Dez Wells, G/F, Maryland. The NCAA’s stunning decision this week to grant Wells, a transfer from Xavier, immediate eligibility was huge news for the Terps. By the time the NCAA Tournament rolls around, the 6-5 swingman will have had plenty of time to find his rhythm with his new teammates.

NO. 7 SEEDS

Player to watch: Michael Snaer, SG, Florida State. Remember that huge shot Snaer hit for the Seminoles last season? If you’re asking, “Which one?” that’s kind of the point. Snaer drilled last-second 3-pointers in wins against Virginia Tech and Duke, cementing his reputation as one of the nation’s best shooters. And nothing makes a March legend like a clutch shooter.

NO. 8 SEEDS

Tennessee, Pitt, Minnesota and Texas

Player to watch: Trevor Mbakwe, PF, Minnesota. The Gophers hope this is the year Mbakwe stays healthy and showcases his immense talent in the tournament. He’s in his sixth year of eligibility, coming off a torn ACL suffered last November. The 6-8 forward is a tenacious rebounder, and his offensive game has developed immensely since his arrival at Minnesota.

NO. 9 SEEDS

Saint Louis, Georgetown, Saint Mary’s and Stanford

Player to watch: Matthew Dellavedova, PG, Saint Mary’s. As offseasons go, Dellavedova had a pretty good one: He was the starting point guard for Australia’s Olympic team, which reached the quarterfinals in London. The pressure of the NCAA Tournament stage will seem like nothing to the reigning WCC player of the year after averaging 15.5 points and 6.4 assists as a junior.

NO. 10 SEEDS

Oklahoma State, Colorado, Butler and Miami (Fla.)

Player to watch: Rotnei Clarke, PG, Butler. Clarke was one of the country’s best 3-point shooters in 2010-11; he shot 43.8 percent from beyond the arc and averaged 15.2 points as a junior at Arkansas. He sat out last season after transferring to Butler, but a full schedule of playing in the rugged, upgraded Atlantic 10 will have Clarke ready for the March spotlight.

NO. 11 SEEDS

Player to watch: Kendall Williams, G, New Mexico. The Lobos’ lightning-quick guard is as experienced as any junior—he has averaged 30.1 minutes, 11.8 points and 4.1 assists per game in his two years at New Mexico. He’s a vocal leader on the court, and he a primary reason the Lobos will be dangerous in March.

NO. 12 SEEDS

Iowa State, Colorado State, Arkansas, BYU and Davidson (Southern)

Player to watch: Hunter Mickelson, C, Arkansas. Remember the impact made by shot-blocking big men Anthony Davis (Kentucky) and Jeff Withey (Kansas) during last season’s tournament? Mickelson (6-10, 245) was fifth in the country last year in block percentage, according to KenPom.com; he blocked 13.5 percent of all 2-point attempts while he was on the court.

NO. 13 SEEDS

Drexel (Colonial), Ohio (MAC), Utah State (WAC) and Lehigh (Patriot)

Player to watch: D.J. Cooper, PG, Ohio. The 6-foot Cooper had 21 points as the Bobcats upset fourth-seeded Michigan and 19 as Ohio knocked off South Florida to reach the Sweet 16 last March. And he’s licking his chops for an opportunity to avenge his 3-for-20 shooting effort against North Carolina with an Elite Eight berth on the line.

NO. 14 SEEDS

Player to watch: Nate Wolters, G, South Dakota State. Last March, the Jackrabbits gave third-seeded Baylor a scare before losing to the bigger Bears. Wolters had 19 points in that game, just under his average of 21.2 for the season. He’s capable of a huge game every night—he scored at least 27 points nine times last season and had at least six assists 19 times.

NO. 15 SEEDS

Player to watch: Will Cherry, PG, Montana. Cherry was the second-best point guard in the Big Sky last year, behind Weber State wonder Damian Lillard, who went with the sixth pick of the NBA Draft. Cherry’s Grizzlies won the Big Sky regular-season title and the league’s automatic bid, though, and Cherry—who will miss games early with a broken foot—will be the face of an upset-minded squad this March.

NO. 16 SEEDS

Player to watch: D.J. Seeley, G, Cal State Fullerton. After playing a bit role at Cal for two years, Seeley transferred to Fullerton. He poured in 17.3 points per game for the Titans in 2011-12. The 6-4 guard made 43.4 percent of his attempts from beyond the 3-point arc and averaged 1.5 steals per game—two skills necessary for a team looking to scare a top seed.